Six new trains for ERL

SEPANG: Six new Ex­press Rail Link (ERL) trains are ex­pected to start op­er­at­ing for the KLIA Ek­spres and KLIA Tran­sit ser­vices in March next year.

With the new trains, ERL would be in­creas­ing its ca­pac­ity by 50%, said Trans­port Min­is­ter Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai when of­fi­ci­at­ing at the un­veil­ing of the first set of trains at the ERL de­pot in Salak Tinggi here yes­ter­day, Ber­nama re­ported.

He said ERL had per­formed very well last year, grow­ing by 20% to an av­er­age daily rid­er­ship of 30,000 de­spite ris­ing op­er­a­tional and main­te­nance costs.

“With the in­crease of 50% ca­pac­ity, I am con­fi­dent that ERL will have its 100 mil­lionth pas­sen­ger very soon,” Liow said.

ERL ex­ec­u­tive chair­man Tan Sri Mohd Nadzmi Mohd Salleh said the pur­chase of the new trains from China-based Changchun Rail­way Ve­hi­cles Co Ltd would add to its ex­ist­ing fleet of 12 trains, bring­ing the to­tal num­ber to 18.

Two new trains would be ser­vic­ing the KLIA Ex­pres and an­other four would serve the KLIA Tran­sit, he said.

Mohd Nadzmi said the new trains would in­crease KLIA Tran­sit daily rid­er­ship from 30,000 to 60,000 and KLIA Ek­spres from 12,000 to 30,000.

He said the wait­ing time for KLIA Tran­sit would also be re­duced from 20 min­utes to 15 min­utes dur­ing peak hours and from 30 min­utes to 20 min­utes dur­ing off-peak hours.

“Each train set con­sists of four cars and will op­er­ate at a cruis­ing speed of 160km per hour,” he said.

BERNAMAPIX

ERL staff Nordalili Azmi (right) and Iz­zati Liyana Yu­sof pos­ing with one of the new trains at the ERL de­pot in Salak Tinggi, Sepang.